its the most wonderful time of the year~
Title: It's a Wonderful Life
Author: hotfruits
Rating: PG-13
Characters: BEST. Takabu. hikanoo.
Disclaimer: Don't own.
Summary: AU. Takaki enlists the help of his friends to bring Yabu the best Christmas ever.
written for crazy_otaku911
and ty to my betas dreamweavernyx and hikarinoniji
Knocking quietly on his roommate’s door, Takaki waited a moment before entering, letting light filter into the room as he walked towards Inoo’s bed. Sitting down beside the sleeping boy, Takaki carefully shook Inoo from his sleep, unable to hide his smile when Inoo stretched and looked at him sourly.
“Yuya, what the hell,” Inoo mumbled, his voice rough from sleep as he blinked at his alarm clock, “It’s…fuck, it’s six in the morning.”
“I know, I’m sorry,” Takaki apologized, “I was wondering if you could help me with something though.”
Inoo sat up, rubbing his eyes with a tired groan. “Sure, what do you need?” he asked, yawning as he leaned against the headboard of his bed.
*
Stepping into the crowded bakery, Takaki picked up the cake he had ordered the night before and stepped back out, wrapping his scarf more securely around his neck. “Hikaru, you still there?” Takaki adjusted the cell phone on his shoulder, his neck tilted at an awkward angle as he headed towards his car.
“Yeah, yeah I’m here,” Hikaru responded after a few minutes, a little out of breath, “Just finished getting dressed, I called the place and they have some trees leftover. Do you want to pick it out, or should I…?” Hikaru’s voice trailed off, wondering what to do next.
“Go ahead and pick it out,” Takaki responded, setting the cake on the roof of his car as he grabbed his keys, unlocking the door. After placing the cake in the front seat, he continued, “And have Kei help you decorate, he’s heading over to his parents to get some decorations, and then he’ll be at the hospital.”
“Alright, see you later,” Hikaru said before hanging up, the dial tone humming in Takaki’s ear. Grabbing his phone, he flipped it shut and jogged around to the other side, hopping into the driver’s seat. Starting the car, he smiled to himself as he drove off, heading towards his next destination.
*
“What do you mean you’re out of stockings?” Daiki shouted at the store clerk, ignoring Takaki’s frantic “What!?” on the phone. “Sir, I just need one stocking, that’s all. You gotta have one somewhere, come on!”
The man behind the counter shrugged, “Sorry kid, but I’m all cleaned out.”
Daiki cursed to himself, thanking the man bitterly before stalking off. “Sorry Yuuyan, but this is the third store I’ve been to and they have no stockings,” he stepped outside, wincing at the cold, “Couldn’t you have thought of this, I don’t know, a week ago, instead of last night?”
“Sorry,” Takaki rolled his eyes, “I’ve been kind of stressed lately, hence the last minute planning.”
Daiki stopped, closing his eyes for a second as he sighed, “I know, I’m sorry. It’s just early and I’m having no luck here. At this point, it might be easier to just make one by hand.”
The other end of the line went quiet for a moment, and then Takaki asked, “Didn’t your Mom teach you how to sew when we were in high school?”
Daiki pinched the bridge of his nose, “Yeah, I’ll go home and start making it,” he muttered, heading back towards the train station.
*
Arriving at the hospital, Inoo leaned back into his seat and yawned, putting his car into park before killing the engine. It was only eight now and he still had an hour before Hikaru would arrive with the tree.
Closing his eyes, he grabbed his iPod out of his bag and placed the headphones over his ears, relaxing as he listened to his Christmas playlist.
*
Hikaru hummed under his breath, carefully looking over the slim collection of trees this man had. They were all pretty shabby looking, but a few of them looked decent enough. It was hard to decide which one was the best, though.
Pulling out his phone, Hikaru snapped a picture of the three he liked best and forwarded them to Inoo. A few minutes later and his phone buzzed, signaling a new message.
‘I like the second one best~ now hurry up and get here!’
Hikaru chuckled, flipping his phone and going over towards the man. “Excuse me, sir,” Hikaru pointed over towards the tree, “I’d like to buy that one, please.”
“Of course,” the man told him the price and Hikaru handed over the appropriate amount of money, before he and the man approached the tree. “We’ll have to tie it to the roof of your car,” he said, and Hikaru nodded, standing to the left of the tree. Together, he and the man lifted the tree and brought it to his car, placing it on the roof with an exhausted sigh. After tying it down, Hikaru thanked the man and drove off, heading towards the hospital.
*
Daiki swore again, hissing in pain as he sucked his thumb into his mouth. Waiting until the sting faded, he grabbed the needle and began threading the two felt pieces together, slowly completing the heel of the stocking.
*
Fingering the small box in his pocket, Takaki grabbed the cake and exited the car, heading into the hospital. Wishing a Merry Christmas to the nurses crowded around the front desk, Takaki made his way towards the fourth floor, finding the small kitchen nurse Miura had told him about. Writing his name on top of the box, he opened the fridge and gently stuffed it in.
Checking the time, Takaki sent a quick text to Inoo before leaving the room, heading towards his next destination.
Knocking on the door, Takaki took a deep breath and entered, smiling brightly as he skipped towards Yabu. “Merry Christmas Kou,” he said, bending down and placing a kiss on Yabu’s bald head.
“Merry Christmas to you too, Yuuyan,” Yabu smiled back, his eyes tired but happy nonetheless. “So, what did you get me?” he asked, laughing when Takaki swatted his hand.
“You brat,” Takaki teased Yabu affectionately, shaking his head as he took a seat in the chair next to the bed. “You’ll get your gift later, but until then, I’m taking you somewhere.”
Yabu raised a brow, looking at Takaki curiously, “Um, how?”
Before Takaki could answer, Yabu’s nurse entered the room, smiling sweetly at the two boys. “Good morning, and Merry Christmas,” he said, walking over towards Yabu’s bed. “Takaki-kun, you’ll have about two hours until Yabu-kun needs to be back here and in bed, so he can get his medication and rest.”
Takaki nodded, “Thank you so much Miura-san, I’ll make sure we’re back by then.”
Carefully, the nurse removed Yabu’s IV, heart monitor and last, his nasal cannula. Next, he pulled out a wheel chair from behind the bed, Takaki helping Miura lift Yabu and gently place him into the chair. Grabbing the handle bars on the chair, Takaki wheeled Yabu out of room, excitedly placing a Santa hat on Yabu’s head.
“Yuuyan, where are we going?” Yabu asked, scratching at the skin in the crease of his arm where the IV needle used to be.
“It’s a surprise,” was all Takaki said, laying his sweater over Yabu’s thin frame before they left the hospital building.
*
Carrying the tree over their shoulders, Hikaru and Inoo trudged their way into the hospital, heading towards the staircase. There was no way they’d fit in an elevator with the tree, so they had to make the long journey up to the fourth floor by stairs.
Nearly thirty minutes later, Hikaru and Inoo dropped the tree onto the floor in Yabu’s room, wiping the sweat off their brow as they heaved. “Next year,” Inoo huffed, sitting down on to the floor, “We’re getting a smaller fucking tree.”
“Agreed,” Hikaru closed his eyes, groaning as he sank onto the floor besides Inoo. “We should. Start,” Hikaru tugged the backpack off of Inoo’s shoulders, unzipping it and dumping the decorations within it onto the floor, “Oh my god, where’s Yabu’s nose thingy, I can’t catch my breath.”
*
With his thumbs covered in bandaids, Daiki finally finished the last stitch on the stocking, completing the ‘a’ in Yabu’s first name. Admiring his handiwork for a moment, Daiki then turned back towards the table and began to stuff the stocking, filling it with candy canes and little trinkets that reminded him of Yabu.
Once he finished, he re-dressed himself for the cold outside and headed back towards the train station, this time to the hospital.
*
As soon as they could breathe again, Hikaru and Inoo began decorating the tree, dancing around as they covered it in tinsel and strands of popcorn, singing along to the Christmas songs on Inoo’s iPod.
“Rudolph the red nose reindeer! Had a very shiny nose,” Inoo sang off-key, laughing as bits of tinsel got into Hikaru’s hair, “And if you ever saw it, you would even say it glows~”
“Stop it, my ears,” Hikaru clutched the sides of his head, clenching his eyes shut as if he were in some kind of terrible pain.
“Oh, shut up and help me put the star on top of the tree,” Inoo rolled his eyes and stepped towards Hikaru, who kneeled and placed his hands towards the floor, his fingers laced together. Stepping onto Hikaru’s hand, Inoo grabbed Hikaru’s shoulder and carefully the boy lifted him into the air. “There we go!” Inoo smiled as he set the star on top of the tree, flicking the switch on the back and making the star glow. “Alright Hikaru, let me-”
Inoo yelped as his foot slipped from Hikaru’s grasp, sending the two of them crashing onto the floor, Inoo’s fall softened by Hikaru’s body. “Sorry,” the two groaned at the same time, and then paused, noticing the situation they were in.
“Hey Kei,” Hikaru smiled after a few moments, sitting up onto his elbows.
“Yeah?”
“Merry Christmas,” he said, closing the distance between them.
*
“Yuuyan,” Yabu whined for the nth time, picking at the blindfold Takaki had tied across his eyes, “Where are we-”
“Here!” Takaki interrupted him, giggling as he parked the car and turned it off, jumping out of the seat. Quickly he dashed to the other side and got the wheelchair out, before easing Yabu into it.
Rolling the boy up the path, he opened the front door and placed his foot on the back of Yabu’s chair, lifting it forward so that he could get Yabu inside the house. Practically bubbling with excitement, Takaki brought Yabu forward and then bent down, kissing the boy’s cheek.
“This is part one of your gift,” he said, undoing the knot on the blindfold and letting it fall.
“Merry Christmas Kota!”
Yabu’s eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat as his Mom bounced over and gave him a hug.
“Yuuyan?” Yabu glanced towards Takaki, tears brimming in the corners of his eyes as his sister came over next, hugging him. “Thank you,” he mouthed, and Takaki nodded, giving his shoulder a squeeze.
*
“Whoa, nice,” is the first thing Daiki said as he entered the room, hanging up Yabu’s stocking on the IV stand, before going over to admire the brightly-lit tree. “Are you guys finished?” he asked, looking over at Hikaru and Inoo.
“Not yet, we still need to hang the ornaments,” Inoo responded, pointing to the floor and the large pile of colored ornaments. “Wanna help?”
“Sure,” Daiki shrugged, picking one up and hanging it onto a branch, answering Inoo’s curious question as to why his thumbs were bandaged.
*
Scooting his chair closer to Yabu’s, Takaki leaned over and grabbed the other’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “How you doing?” he whispered into Yabu’s ear, not wanting to interrupt Yabu’s father’s story.
“I’m a little tired, and my head is hurting,” Yabu answered, grinning as he watched his family, “But I’m so happy right now, so it’s okay.”
Takaki rubbed his thumb across Yabu’s, his brows pulling together in concern, “You sure?”
Yabu glanced over at Takaki, leaning over a bit and kissing Takaki’s worried brow. “Yes, I promise.”
The rest of their time passed by in a whirl of stories, presents and a Yabu family rendition of ‘Frosty the Snowman’, before Takaki had to tell Yabu it was time to go. Nodding sadly, the boy hugged his family goodbye and wrapped Takaki’s sweater around himself as they left his home.
After getting Yabu situated, Takaki placed the folded wheel chair into the back seat and then jogged around to the other side, hopping into the driver’s seat. Turning the car, and the heater on, Takaki pulled out of the driveway and began to make their journey back to the hospital.
“That was nice seeing your sister and brother-in-law, your Mom didn’t tell me they would be there when I called last night,” Takaki said, trying to fill the silence in the car. He could tell that Yabu was upset now, his shoulders trembling a little as he muffled his cries with the sleeve of Takaki’s sweater.
“Don’t forget, this is only part one of your gift, we’ve got two more parts to go,” Takaki said enthusiastically, hoping that would bring Yabu’s spirits up.
It didn’t, and Takaki frowned, reaching over and grabbing Yabu’s hand, “Kou, what’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry,” Yabu apologized, using his hand to wipe at his eyes, “I just, I guess I hadn’t realized how much I missed my family, now that I’m at the hospital all the time.”
“Oh, Kou,” Takaki sighed, wishing he could pull over and bring Yabu into his arms, but he knew he had to get the other back to the hospital, “I know it sucks right now, but it’s a small sacrifice for your health, yeah? Once you’re better, you can go back home and everything will go back to normal.”
Yabu sniffed, and then took a deep breath, “You’re right, it’ll be okay. Thank you so much Yuuyan,” Yabu said again, looking over at Takaki with teary eyes. “This is already turning out to be the best Christmas ever, and it’s not even over yet.”
Takaki gave Yabu’s hand a squeeze, smiling as he bit back his own tears, “Nope, there are plenty more surprises to come.”
*
Setting the cake onto the table, Daiki placed a few cups, plates and forks next to it, along with a small container of milk he stole from the fridge.
Inoo put the last few touches on the tree, while Hikaru swept up the mess of tinsel bits, tossing it into the trashcan.
“You guys,” Yabu’s nurse ducked into the room, “I just saw Takaki-kun and Yabu-kun, they’ll be here any minute.”
Quickly, the three boys lined up and smiled, waiting for the door to open. When it did, they shouted Merry Christmas, causing Yabu to jump back in his chair. “You guys, oh my god,” Yabu breathed, a hand over his heart as he laughed, “Did you do all of this while we were gone?”
“Welcome to part two of your gift,” Takaki said from behind, wheeling Yabu over to his bed so the nurse could get him re-situated. Once he was done, he left the boys to their little party, giving Takaki a thumbs up as he left.
“Yabu, check out your stocking!” Daiki said smugly, showing off his bandaged thumbs, “I made it myself, from hand. Oh yeah, go ahead and tell me I’m awesome.”
“You’re awesome,” Yabu said, his eyes lighting up as he grabbed the stocking and began to pull out the contents inside of it, “Oh cool~” he beamed, laying out the candy canes and the small gifts. “Thanks Dai-chan.”
Daiki shrugged, and then turned towards Inoo and Hikaru, “We decorated a tree,” Hikaru pointed to the large, brightly festive tree behind him, “And Inoo brought Christmas carols.”
“And Yuuyan brought a cake, so let’s eat?” Inoo asked, and after receiving an excited ‘yes!’ from Yabu, began to cut the small cake into pieces, while Hikaru helped him by pouring the milk.
Once everyone had their treat, Inoo turned his iPod back on and the room was filled with the sounds of ‘Walking in a Winter Wonderland,’ accompanied by Inoo’s loud voice.
Scooting over in his bed, Yabu patted the empty space next to him, smiling so wide his eyes began to disappear. Climbing up onto the bed, Takaki rested his head against Yabu’s shoulder, careful to not put too much pressure on the boy as he took a bite of his cake.
“It’s good,” Takaki mumbled, mouth full and Yabu kissed the side of his mouth, getting a little bit of frosting on his lip.
“Thank you,” he said, and Takaki smiled, kissing Yabu gently on the lips and licking away that bit of frosting.
“Hey now, save that for later!” Inoo shouted, and the two laughed, Takaki nearly dropping his cake when Yabu began to tickle his sides.
*
It was nearing three in the afternoon when the party finally dispersed, the boys all exchanging a hug before the three left, leaving just Takaki and Yabu.
“You’re amazing, you know that,” Yabu said as he stroked Takaki’s hair, closing his eyes as he relaxed, “Planning all of this in less a day, I,” Yabu paused, “I love you Yuuyan.”
“Love you too Kou,” Takaki slipped his hand into his pocket, fingering the box there, “Ready for part three of your gift?” he asked, and after receiving a quiet ’yes,’ Takaki sat up, untangling himself from Yabu’s embrace.
Pulling the box out of his pocket, he opened it and showed it to Yabu, who gasped, eyes widening. “Yuu-”
“They’re promise rings,” Takaki interrupted the other, pulling the two rings out of the box. Placing one in Yabu’s hand, he grabbed the other and slipped it onto Yabu’s ring finger, thankful the ring fit the boy’s bony finger. “I got these after your Mom told me you were admitted to the hospital full time,” he explained, smiling when Yabu slipped the other ring onto his own finger, “Because I love you, and I’m going to be here for you every step of the way, I promise.”
“Wow,” Yabu blinked, staring down at the rings on their fingers. “Yuuyan, I,” Yabu shook his head, unable to get his words out as his eyes began to water again. “Thank you, for everything,” he managed to choke out before the tears overtook him, crying as he slipped his hand into Takaki’s.
“Yuuyan, I should have told you before but-”
“I already know,” Takaki interrupted with a whisper, “Your Mom told me the chemo isn’t taking well. That’s why I wanted to do this,” he admitted, “Make this the best Christmas you’ve ever had, just in case.”
“Just in case…” Yabu looked up at Takaki, “Just in case I-”
Takaki wouldn’t let Yabu finish his sentence, quickly closing the distance between them with a firm kiss, his hand still locked with the other’s as he kissed those words away from Yabu’s lips.
*
That night, long after Yabu fell asleep in his arms, peacefully medicated and his breathing easy, Takaki had a chance to talk with Yabu’s doctor. When they finished, he finally allowed himself to cry, breaking down and holding Yabu closer, careful to not jostle his IV.
“I’m glad I could make this the best Christmas ever,” he choked out, his tears becoming louder as he sobbed, his heart painfully breaking inside of him, “And I’ll always love you Kou, always.”
Author: hotfruits
Rating: PG-13
Characters: BEST. Takabu. hikanoo.
Disclaimer: Don't own.
Summary: AU. Takaki enlists the help of his friends to bring Yabu the best Christmas ever.
written for crazy_otaku911
and ty to my betas dreamweavernyx and hikarinoniji
Knocking quietly on his roommate’s door, Takaki waited a moment before entering, letting light filter into the room as he walked towards Inoo’s bed. Sitting down beside the sleeping boy, Takaki carefully shook Inoo from his sleep, unable to hide his smile when Inoo stretched and looked at him sourly.
“Yuya, what the hell,” Inoo mumbled, his voice rough from sleep as he blinked at his alarm clock, “It’s…fuck, it’s six in the morning.”
“I know, I’m sorry,” Takaki apologized, “I was wondering if you could help me with something though.”
Inoo sat up, rubbing his eyes with a tired groan. “Sure, what do you need?” he asked, yawning as he leaned against the headboard of his bed.
*
Stepping into the crowded bakery, Takaki picked up the cake he had ordered the night before and stepped back out, wrapping his scarf more securely around his neck. “Hikaru, you still there?” Takaki adjusted the cell phone on his shoulder, his neck tilted at an awkward angle as he headed towards his car.
“Yeah, yeah I’m here,” Hikaru responded after a few minutes, a little out of breath, “Just finished getting dressed, I called the place and they have some trees leftover. Do you want to pick it out, or should I…?” Hikaru’s voice trailed off, wondering what to do next.
“Go ahead and pick it out,” Takaki responded, setting the cake on the roof of his car as he grabbed his keys, unlocking the door. After placing the cake in the front seat, he continued, “And have Kei help you decorate, he’s heading over to his parents to get some decorations, and then he’ll be at the hospital.”
“Alright, see you later,” Hikaru said before hanging up, the dial tone humming in Takaki’s ear. Grabbing his phone, he flipped it shut and jogged around to the other side, hopping into the driver’s seat. Starting the car, he smiled to himself as he drove off, heading towards his next destination.
*
“What do you mean you’re out of stockings?” Daiki shouted at the store clerk, ignoring Takaki’s frantic “What!?” on the phone. “Sir, I just need one stocking, that’s all. You gotta have one somewhere, come on!”
The man behind the counter shrugged, “Sorry kid, but I’m all cleaned out.”
Daiki cursed to himself, thanking the man bitterly before stalking off. “Sorry Yuuyan, but this is the third store I’ve been to and they have no stockings,” he stepped outside, wincing at the cold, “Couldn’t you have thought of this, I don’t know, a week ago, instead of last night?”
“Sorry,” Takaki rolled his eyes, “I’ve been kind of stressed lately, hence the last minute planning.”
Daiki stopped, closing his eyes for a second as he sighed, “I know, I’m sorry. It’s just early and I’m having no luck here. At this point, it might be easier to just make one by hand.”
The other end of the line went quiet for a moment, and then Takaki asked, “Didn’t your Mom teach you how to sew when we were in high school?”
Daiki pinched the bridge of his nose, “Yeah, I’ll go home and start making it,” he muttered, heading back towards the train station.
*
Arriving at the hospital, Inoo leaned back into his seat and yawned, putting his car into park before killing the engine. It was only eight now and he still had an hour before Hikaru would arrive with the tree.
Closing his eyes, he grabbed his iPod out of his bag and placed the headphones over his ears, relaxing as he listened to his Christmas playlist.
*
Hikaru hummed under his breath, carefully looking over the slim collection of trees this man had. They were all pretty shabby looking, but a few of them looked decent enough. It was hard to decide which one was the best, though.
Pulling out his phone, Hikaru snapped a picture of the three he liked best and forwarded them to Inoo. A few minutes later and his phone buzzed, signaling a new message.
‘I like the second one best~ now hurry up and get here!’
Hikaru chuckled, flipping his phone and going over towards the man. “Excuse me, sir,” Hikaru pointed over towards the tree, “I’d like to buy that one, please.”
“Of course,” the man told him the price and Hikaru handed over the appropriate amount of money, before he and the man approached the tree. “We’ll have to tie it to the roof of your car,” he said, and Hikaru nodded, standing to the left of the tree. Together, he and the man lifted the tree and brought it to his car, placing it on the roof with an exhausted sigh. After tying it down, Hikaru thanked the man and drove off, heading towards the hospital.
*
Daiki swore again, hissing in pain as he sucked his thumb into his mouth. Waiting until the sting faded, he grabbed the needle and began threading the two felt pieces together, slowly completing the heel of the stocking.
*
Fingering the small box in his pocket, Takaki grabbed the cake and exited the car, heading into the hospital. Wishing a Merry Christmas to the nurses crowded around the front desk, Takaki made his way towards the fourth floor, finding the small kitchen nurse Miura had told him about. Writing his name on top of the box, he opened the fridge and gently stuffed it in.
Checking the time, Takaki sent a quick text to Inoo before leaving the room, heading towards his next destination.
Knocking on the door, Takaki took a deep breath and entered, smiling brightly as he skipped towards Yabu. “Merry Christmas Kou,” he said, bending down and placing a kiss on Yabu’s bald head.
“Merry Christmas to you too, Yuuyan,” Yabu smiled back, his eyes tired but happy nonetheless. “So, what did you get me?” he asked, laughing when Takaki swatted his hand.
“You brat,” Takaki teased Yabu affectionately, shaking his head as he took a seat in the chair next to the bed. “You’ll get your gift later, but until then, I’m taking you somewhere.”
Yabu raised a brow, looking at Takaki curiously, “Um, how?”
Before Takaki could answer, Yabu’s nurse entered the room, smiling sweetly at the two boys. “Good morning, and Merry Christmas,” he said, walking over towards Yabu’s bed. “Takaki-kun, you’ll have about two hours until Yabu-kun needs to be back here and in bed, so he can get his medication and rest.”
Takaki nodded, “Thank you so much Miura-san, I’ll make sure we’re back by then.”
Carefully, the nurse removed Yabu’s IV, heart monitor and last, his nasal cannula. Next, he pulled out a wheel chair from behind the bed, Takaki helping Miura lift Yabu and gently place him into the chair. Grabbing the handle bars on the chair, Takaki wheeled Yabu out of room, excitedly placing a Santa hat on Yabu’s head.
“Yuuyan, where are we going?” Yabu asked, scratching at the skin in the crease of his arm where the IV needle used to be.
“It’s a surprise,” was all Takaki said, laying his sweater over Yabu’s thin frame before they left the hospital building.
*
Carrying the tree over their shoulders, Hikaru and Inoo trudged their way into the hospital, heading towards the staircase. There was no way they’d fit in an elevator with the tree, so they had to make the long journey up to the fourth floor by stairs.
Nearly thirty minutes later, Hikaru and Inoo dropped the tree onto the floor in Yabu’s room, wiping the sweat off their brow as they heaved. “Next year,” Inoo huffed, sitting down on to the floor, “We’re getting a smaller fucking tree.”
“Agreed,” Hikaru closed his eyes, groaning as he sank onto the floor besides Inoo. “We should. Start,” Hikaru tugged the backpack off of Inoo’s shoulders, unzipping it and dumping the decorations within it onto the floor, “Oh my god, where’s Yabu’s nose thingy, I can’t catch my breath.”
*
With his thumbs covered in bandaids, Daiki finally finished the last stitch on the stocking, completing the ‘a’ in Yabu’s first name. Admiring his handiwork for a moment, Daiki then turned back towards the table and began to stuff the stocking, filling it with candy canes and little trinkets that reminded him of Yabu.
Once he finished, he re-dressed himself for the cold outside and headed back towards the train station, this time to the hospital.
*
As soon as they could breathe again, Hikaru and Inoo began decorating the tree, dancing around as they covered it in tinsel and strands of popcorn, singing along to the Christmas songs on Inoo’s iPod.
“Rudolph the red nose reindeer! Had a very shiny nose,” Inoo sang off-key, laughing as bits of tinsel got into Hikaru’s hair, “And if you ever saw it, you would even say it glows~”
“Stop it, my ears,” Hikaru clutched the sides of his head, clenching his eyes shut as if he were in some kind of terrible pain.
“Oh, shut up and help me put the star on top of the tree,” Inoo rolled his eyes and stepped towards Hikaru, who kneeled and placed his hands towards the floor, his fingers laced together. Stepping onto Hikaru’s hand, Inoo grabbed Hikaru’s shoulder and carefully the boy lifted him into the air. “There we go!” Inoo smiled as he set the star on top of the tree, flicking the switch on the back and making the star glow. “Alright Hikaru, let me-”
Inoo yelped as his foot slipped from Hikaru’s grasp, sending the two of them crashing onto the floor, Inoo’s fall softened by Hikaru’s body. “Sorry,” the two groaned at the same time, and then paused, noticing the situation they were in.
“Hey Kei,” Hikaru smiled after a few moments, sitting up onto his elbows.
“Yeah?”
“Merry Christmas,” he said, closing the distance between them.
*
“Yuuyan,” Yabu whined for the nth time, picking at the blindfold Takaki had tied across his eyes, “Where are we-”
“Here!” Takaki interrupted him, giggling as he parked the car and turned it off, jumping out of the seat. Quickly he dashed to the other side and got the wheelchair out, before easing Yabu into it.
Rolling the boy up the path, he opened the front door and placed his foot on the back of Yabu’s chair, lifting it forward so that he could get Yabu inside the house. Practically bubbling with excitement, Takaki brought Yabu forward and then bent down, kissing the boy’s cheek.
“This is part one of your gift,” he said, undoing the knot on the blindfold and letting it fall.
“Merry Christmas Kota!”
Yabu’s eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat as his Mom bounced over and gave him a hug.
“Yuuyan?” Yabu glanced towards Takaki, tears brimming in the corners of his eyes as his sister came over next, hugging him. “Thank you,” he mouthed, and Takaki nodded, giving his shoulder a squeeze.
*
“Whoa, nice,” is the first thing Daiki said as he entered the room, hanging up Yabu’s stocking on the IV stand, before going over to admire the brightly-lit tree. “Are you guys finished?” he asked, looking over at Hikaru and Inoo.
“Not yet, we still need to hang the ornaments,” Inoo responded, pointing to the floor and the large pile of colored ornaments. “Wanna help?”
“Sure,” Daiki shrugged, picking one up and hanging it onto a branch, answering Inoo’s curious question as to why his thumbs were bandaged.
*
Scooting his chair closer to Yabu’s, Takaki leaned over and grabbed the other’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “How you doing?” he whispered into Yabu’s ear, not wanting to interrupt Yabu’s father’s story.
“I’m a little tired, and my head is hurting,” Yabu answered, grinning as he watched his family, “But I’m so happy right now, so it’s okay.”
Takaki rubbed his thumb across Yabu’s, his brows pulling together in concern, “You sure?”
Yabu glanced over at Takaki, leaning over a bit and kissing Takaki’s worried brow. “Yes, I promise.”
The rest of their time passed by in a whirl of stories, presents and a Yabu family rendition of ‘Frosty the Snowman’, before Takaki had to tell Yabu it was time to go. Nodding sadly, the boy hugged his family goodbye and wrapped Takaki’s sweater around himself as they left his home.
After getting Yabu situated, Takaki placed the folded wheel chair into the back seat and then jogged around to the other side, hopping into the driver’s seat. Turning the car, and the heater on, Takaki pulled out of the driveway and began to make their journey back to the hospital.
“That was nice seeing your sister and brother-in-law, your Mom didn’t tell me they would be there when I called last night,” Takaki said, trying to fill the silence in the car. He could tell that Yabu was upset now, his shoulders trembling a little as he muffled his cries with the sleeve of Takaki’s sweater.
“Don’t forget, this is only part one of your gift, we’ve got two more parts to go,” Takaki said enthusiastically, hoping that would bring Yabu’s spirits up.
It didn’t, and Takaki frowned, reaching over and grabbing Yabu’s hand, “Kou, what’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry,” Yabu apologized, using his hand to wipe at his eyes, “I just, I guess I hadn’t realized how much I missed my family, now that I’m at the hospital all the time.”
“Oh, Kou,” Takaki sighed, wishing he could pull over and bring Yabu into his arms, but he knew he had to get the other back to the hospital, “I know it sucks right now, but it’s a small sacrifice for your health, yeah? Once you’re better, you can go back home and everything will go back to normal.”
Yabu sniffed, and then took a deep breath, “You’re right, it’ll be okay. Thank you so much Yuuyan,” Yabu said again, looking over at Takaki with teary eyes. “This is already turning out to be the best Christmas ever, and it’s not even over yet.”
Takaki gave Yabu’s hand a squeeze, smiling as he bit back his own tears, “Nope, there are plenty more surprises to come.”
*
Setting the cake onto the table, Daiki placed a few cups, plates and forks next to it, along with a small container of milk he stole from the fridge.
Inoo put the last few touches on the tree, while Hikaru swept up the mess of tinsel bits, tossing it into the trashcan.
“You guys,” Yabu’s nurse ducked into the room, “I just saw Takaki-kun and Yabu-kun, they’ll be here any minute.”
Quickly, the three boys lined up and smiled, waiting for the door to open. When it did, they shouted Merry Christmas, causing Yabu to jump back in his chair. “You guys, oh my god,” Yabu breathed, a hand over his heart as he laughed, “Did you do all of this while we were gone?”
“Welcome to part two of your gift,” Takaki said from behind, wheeling Yabu over to his bed so the nurse could get him re-situated. Once he was done, he left the boys to their little party, giving Takaki a thumbs up as he left.
“Yabu, check out your stocking!” Daiki said smugly, showing off his bandaged thumbs, “I made it myself, from hand. Oh yeah, go ahead and tell me I’m awesome.”
“You’re awesome,” Yabu said, his eyes lighting up as he grabbed the stocking and began to pull out the contents inside of it, “Oh cool~” he beamed, laying out the candy canes and the small gifts. “Thanks Dai-chan.”
Daiki shrugged, and then turned towards Inoo and Hikaru, “We decorated a tree,” Hikaru pointed to the large, brightly festive tree behind him, “And Inoo brought Christmas carols.”
“And Yuuyan brought a cake, so let’s eat?” Inoo asked, and after receiving an excited ‘yes!’ from Yabu, began to cut the small cake into pieces, while Hikaru helped him by pouring the milk.
Once everyone had their treat, Inoo turned his iPod back on and the room was filled with the sounds of ‘Walking in a Winter Wonderland,’ accompanied by Inoo’s loud voice.
Scooting over in his bed, Yabu patted the empty space next to him, smiling so wide his eyes began to disappear. Climbing up onto the bed, Takaki rested his head against Yabu’s shoulder, careful to not put too much pressure on the boy as he took a bite of his cake.
“It’s good,” Takaki mumbled, mouth full and Yabu kissed the side of his mouth, getting a little bit of frosting on his lip.
“Thank you,” he said, and Takaki smiled, kissing Yabu gently on the lips and licking away that bit of frosting.
“Hey now, save that for later!” Inoo shouted, and the two laughed, Takaki nearly dropping his cake when Yabu began to tickle his sides.
*
It was nearing three in the afternoon when the party finally dispersed, the boys all exchanging a hug before the three left, leaving just Takaki and Yabu.
“You’re amazing, you know that,” Yabu said as he stroked Takaki’s hair, closing his eyes as he relaxed, “Planning all of this in less a day, I,” Yabu paused, “I love you Yuuyan.”
“Love you too Kou,” Takaki slipped his hand into his pocket, fingering the box there, “Ready for part three of your gift?” he asked, and after receiving a quiet ’yes,’ Takaki sat up, untangling himself from Yabu’s embrace.
Pulling the box out of his pocket, he opened it and showed it to Yabu, who gasped, eyes widening. “Yuu-”
“They’re promise rings,” Takaki interrupted the other, pulling the two rings out of the box. Placing one in Yabu’s hand, he grabbed the other and slipped it onto Yabu’s ring finger, thankful the ring fit the boy’s bony finger. “I got these after your Mom told me you were admitted to the hospital full time,” he explained, smiling when Yabu slipped the other ring onto his own finger, “Because I love you, and I’m going to be here for you every step of the way, I promise.”
“Wow,” Yabu blinked, staring down at the rings on their fingers. “Yuuyan, I,” Yabu shook his head, unable to get his words out as his eyes began to water again. “Thank you, for everything,” he managed to choke out before the tears overtook him, crying as he slipped his hand into Takaki’s.
“Yuuyan, I should have told you before but-”
“I already know,” Takaki interrupted with a whisper, “Your Mom told me the chemo isn’t taking well. That’s why I wanted to do this,” he admitted, “Make this the best Christmas you’ve ever had, just in case.”
“Just in case…” Yabu looked up at Takaki, “Just in case I-”
Takaki wouldn’t let Yabu finish his sentence, quickly closing the distance between them with a firm kiss, his hand still locked with the other’s as he kissed those words away from Yabu’s lips.
*
That night, long after Yabu fell asleep in his arms, peacefully medicated and his breathing easy, Takaki had a chance to talk with Yabu’s doctor. When they finished, he finally allowed himself to cry, breaking down and holding Yabu closer, careful to not jostle his IV.
“I’m glad I could make this the best Christmas ever,” he choked out, his tears becoming louder as he sobbed, his heart painfully breaking inside of him, “And I’ll always love you Kou, always.”